The present invention relates to an electrical air freshener for automobiles and cartridge used in the air freshener. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air freshener that plugs into the cigarette lighter receptacle on the automobile dash-board and blows a stream of air past an odor emitting means.
One type of air freshener commonly used in automobiles generally comprises an article which is suspended in the passenger compartment having a solid or semi-solid fragrance emitting medium. The fragrance is circulated in the passenger compartment only by natural currents and diffusion. One problem with such a device is that its fragrance is emitted constantly, even when the automobile is not occupied Thus, in order to make the device long lasting, the relative rate of fragrance emission must be kept low.
Numerous devices have been patented for freshening, deodorizing and/or purifying the air in an automobile passenger compartment Examples of such patents include U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,042 to Calandra, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,182 to Gilbertson and U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,245 to Gutierrez. None of these devices, however, has come to widespread use. Further, numerous patents have issued on devices which produce an air flow stream past a vaporizable product to condition the air in a closed space, such as a room. U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,444 to Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,092 to Sullivan et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,938 to Meltze, Jr. These devices have not been adapted for use in automobiles.
Applicants are aware of a device, referred to as the "Marquesa Jet", which they believe has been sold in foreign countries but not in the U.S. The Marquesa Jet includes a body or housing, a motor and a centrifugal type blower. Extending perpendicular from the rear of the body is a stem which fits into a cigarette lighter receptacle. On the end and extending from one side of the stem are electrical contacts which match up with the electrical system of the cigarette lighter receptacle. A switch on the outside of the body completes the electrical circuit between these contacts and the motor. In front of the blower is a cylindrical cartridge which holds fragrance beads and has open grid ends which allow air to pass through the cartridge. A cap over the end of the body can be turned to open and close air passageways downstream from the cartridge.
The Marquesa Jet has several problems which applicants' invention overcomes. First, the air intake for the Marquesa Jet is located near the front of the body, countercurrent to the airflow through the cartridge. Since the air intake is near the exit, air tends to recirculate through the device. Second, the centrifugal type blower does not create very good air flow through the device. Additionally, when the device is inserted into a cigarette lighter, the cartridge is turned on its side and the fragrance beads fall to one side of the cartridge. Hence most of the air flow through the cartridge goes over the top of the pile of beads.